Tandem performer cycle family

[icur]

Just got a Performer Cycle Family tandem

Captain is in the back
Stoker in the front

Trying to figure out how convert it electric

So far my thoughts are putting Bafang Bbshd in the front stoker and moving chain to gear side

Really want the motor under captain seat but not sure if you can modify a chain ring onto left side

Similar to Hase Pino Step

 

[amberwolf]

This one?

http://www.performercycles.com/new/product_info.php?cPath=164&products_id=490&osCsid=8c939a11b1d1838f7f1d0c93da1b8e53

 

[icur]

Yes

Maybe another mid drive motor instead of bafang?

 

[chvidgov.bc.ca]

I think this bike would be better with a hub motor, front or back, from the point of view of simplicity and quiet and maintainability on long tours. With that much weight on the bike, there should be no worries with traction. Assuming lots of cargo/gear on the back if touring with two, I think a front hub motor is the low-hanging fruit, with good balance. To me there isn't much of a logical reason to put the power through the same drive train simultaneously used by two individuals.

 

[Xray]

It would be no problem to put the mid-drive on the captain's crank. You would just need to use a square taper left idler crank arm in place of the crank arm that comes with the Bafang. With the crank motor in that position, you would only get the heavy wear and tear on the shorter chain instead of the much longer idler chain. On our tandem trike, I put the bafang up front. It worked fine and we have about 1400 miles on it but it adds a lot of extra complexity and extra cost. I have had to replace both chains already and that is a lot of chain.

 

[dogman dan]

Looks like it screams "put a hub motor on the front wheel" to me. But maybe that's cuz the company I work for sells one perfect for that.

Any companies front hub motor would work good, a direct drive one though, because of the extra weight.